By Allan Gray

Sugar Bowl should be quick

Fair Grounds Race 6 – Sugar Bowl Stakes

The first ever Santa Sprint Saturday at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans should be able to give you a little burst of energy if you still have some last minute shopping left to do. The Saturday card features four sprint stakes and one of them is the Sugar Bowl Stakes for 2-year-olds.

Harlan’s Fortune showed tremendous speed in his third place finish at Santa Anita in early October. Trained by Brandon Marks, Harlan’s Fortune set an opening ¼ mile in 21.4 then faded to third in the 6 ½ furlong starter allowance.

In his last two starts, his connections have tried to stretch out to a mile. That experience should improve his ability to rate on the lead. Harlan’s Fortune looks to be the lone speed and if he is left alone on the lead he will be dangerous.

Ben and the Twin and Sok Sok both come out of the grade three Iroquois Stakes at Churchill in October. Sok Sok finished fourth in the mile stake. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the 2-year-old son of Trippi has won at 5 furlongs at Churchill Downs in his first time out.

Ben the Twin, trained by Cody Autrey, has won twice at the six furlong distance earlier in the year at Keeneland and Remington Park .

The other stakes on Fair Ground’s Santa Sprint Saturday card are the Letellier Memorial, Esplanade Stakes and the Bonapaw Stakes.

Top three in Hollywood Prevue battle again in Cash Call

Hollywood Park Race 9 – Cash Call Futurity (G1)

Massive Drama , Into Mischief, and Meal Penalty finished one, two, three in the Hollywood Prevue Stake in November and now face an entirely new group of potential Derby trailers.

Massive Drama, the winner of the Hollywood Prevue, is one of five horses that will be trying to make it three in a row. Massive Drama, trained by hall of famer Bob Baffert, is undefeated in his two starts. And in maybe a little of foreshadowing, Massive Drama’s first victory came on the Breeders’ Cup Friday at Monmouth.

The other juveniles going for three in a row including Colonel John, winner of the Real Quiet, Eaton’s Gift, Monba, and Sierra Sunset, winner of the California Cup Juvenile. There is also three starters in this year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile in this year’s Cash Call including Slew’s Tiznow and Old Man Buck, who finished second and third in the grade one Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, and Shore Do.

If you are a Kentucky Derby trail watcher, you definitely want to stay and watch this one.